


Up on the Rooftop

by clgfanfic



Category: Houston Knights
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-30
Updated: 2012-10-30
Packaged: 2017-11-17 08:32:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/549618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clgfanfic/pseuds/clgfanfic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Christmas in Houston.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Up on the Rooftop

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published in the letterzine Partners and Friends and later in The Yule Tide #1 under the pen name Lynn Gill.

"This has got to be the _worst_ idea you've ever come up with, Lundy."

"Keep complainin' and you're gonna ruin the whole thing."

"Come on, Levon, I'm cold.  No, I'm freezing to death.  We've been out here all night and it's damn near morning.  Do you really think he's still going to show?"

"He'll be here.  He does this every year and this year, I'm gonna to catch him in the act."

"We're both going to catch pneumonia, that's what we're going to catch."

"Would you be quiet, LaFiamma?  If he hears us he'll just pass on by and I'll have to wait another year for a shot at him."

"Just don't invite me along."

"Fine, just be quiet."

"Hrump."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

**A half-hour later**

 

"You hear that, LaFiamma?"

"All I hear is my teeth chattering."

"Can't you hear those bells?"

"Bells?  Lundy, the cold's seeped into your head.  Froze your brain cells... the ones you have left."

"You're real funny, LaFiamma.  I'm telling you I hear bells.  Listen."

"I'll be damned.  I'm starting to hear bells, too.  Maybe we both froze to death and—"

"Shhhhh."

"Hey, that sounds like a horse."

"Horses don't fly, LaFiamma, and one would have'ta to get up here." 

"Well, it sounds like some kind of animal to me— Jesus, what was that?"

"Come on, let's crawl over there and see what he's doing.  He must be breakin' in.  I'm gonna get 'im this time…"

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

**A few minutes later**

 

"Lundy, what's he doing?"

"Looks like he's trying to shove that bag through the air conditioning vent."

"So what are we going to do?"

"We wait until he's inside, LaFiamma, then we bust 'im for breaking and entering."

"Hey, there he goes.  He's in.  Looks like a B&E to me."

"Come on, LaFiamma, I want to see if I can watch him from the vent…"

"Anything?"

"Nothin'.  He's over by the Christmas tree display.  I can't see a damn thing."

"Huh, Lundy, I can't feel my feet anymore.  You don't think we could get frostbite out here, do you?"

"Here he comes."

"Great."

"Okay, we grab him when he comes out.  You ready?"

"I can't feel my fingers either.  I don't know if I can hold my guns…"

"Police!  Freeze!  Get him cuffed, LaFiamma."

"Hold it right there, mister.  Don't move.  Hey, that's a nice red suit you have there…  Here, I'll take that bag—"

"What was that?"

"I told you I heard an animal up here, Lundy.  Okay, old man, where is it?"

"You heard my partner, mister, call your dog, or whatever, out here."

"Rudolph, come here boy.  It's okay.  The policemen won't shoot you."

"Rudolph?  Lundy, did he say Rudolph?"

"Very funny, mister.  Call him again."

"Rudolph, get out here, _right now_.  These men mean business."

"Damn right we do."

"You tell him, Lundy.  We've been here all night waiting for you, freezing our—"

"Rudolph!  They're getting impatient."

"I— I don't believe it.  No.  No, no no.  Absolutely not.  I _don't_ believe it.  Lundy, you want to explain that?"

"Not particularly.  Where'd you find that thing, mister?"

"Ah, little place up north.  Best second-story partner I've ever had."

"Lundy, you gonna cuff that or should I?"

"You go right ahead, LaFiamma, I'll cover you."

"You're a real pal, Lundy, you know that?"

"Just get the cuffs on them so we can call a wagon to come pick 'em up."

"Okay."

"You know, you boys are going to spoil Christmas for some kids by doing this."

"You here that, Lundy?"

"Really.  I still have a few more stops to make before dawn."

"Not this year, you don't.  LaFiamma, you finished?"

"Yeah, I'm done, but I'm _not_ looking forward to explaining this to the Lieutenant."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

**Later that morning, back at the station**

 

"You know, I didn't believe him, but he was right.  There are seven more kids on this list he was carrying."

"Yeah, I know and I feel real bad about that, but what he did is illegal."

"Technically, but it was for a good cause."

"That doesn't make it right, LaFiamma."

"So what are we gonna do?"

"About what?"

"Those kids, Lundy.  We can't ruin their Christmas like this."

"Oh, all right.  We'll go pick up a few things and drop them off.  Satisfied?"

"Levon, Joe, I'm glad I caught you."

"What's up, Annie?"

"You know that guy you brought in earlier?"

"Yeah?  What about him?"

"Well, he made bail."

"That fast?"

"A very nice old lady came in and got him.  I think it was his wife.  He asked me to give you this."

"Lundy, you gonna read that note or just stare at it?"

"Dear detectives, I just wanted to tell you there's no hard feelings.  I know you have a job to do, and so do I.  I won't forget you next Christmas.  S."

"That's one odd old coot."

"La Fiamma, listen to this.  P.S. the remaining seven children will be taken care of, so you don't have to worry about them.  Merry Christmas."

"Great!  I don't know about you, Lundy, but we did our job and now I'm going to go home, take a hot shower, and _try_ to get warm again."

"Wait a minute, LaFiamma.  You forget about the get-together at my place?"

"Ahhhh.  Yeah, I did.  Okay, but can we swing by so I can grab a shower and change?"

"Sure.  Oh, Annie?"

"Yeah?"

"What happened to his, huh, 'partner'?"

"Oh, we called animal control to take him."

"The pound?"

"Um-hm."

"That's terrible!"

"I'm sure they'll know what to do with him, LaFiamma.  Now, let's get a move-on or we're gonna be late."

 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 

 

 

**Back at LaFiamma's apartment**

 

"Hey, my door's open…"

"Careful, you might have visitors."

"Right.  What the…?"

"What?"

"Over there, on the coffee table.  You think it's a bomb?"

"I don't hear any ticking.  Maybe one of your lady friends dropped it by?"

"Yeah, maybe."

"You gonna open it?"

"Okay, but the first sign of anything strange and I'm calling the bomb squad… Hey, look at this!"

"What is it?"

"Italian pastry!  Oh, man, you gotta try this, it's great.  My Aunt Sophie used to make this every Christmas— Wait, there's something else in here…  Hmm…  It's— It's for you."

"Me?"

"That's what the tag says.  Go on and open it."

"I'll be damned."

"What?"

"Gingerbread cookies, like mother Minnie used to make.  Who—?  How—?"

"I don't know, Lundy, and right now I don't think I want to.  You think maybe that guy really was—"

"No.  There's no such thing.  He's just an old second story man who's been hittin' department stores every year at Christmas for years and years and we finally nailed him.  And, even if he was stealin' things for the orphans at St. Anthony's Home, it's against the law."

"But what about that—"

"I don't know.  He probably special ordered it from a pet store someplace."

"Okay, but how'd he get it up on the roof?"

"It's small enough to carry."

"I don't know, Levon…"

"Well, I do."

"This is just like the pastry Aunt Sophie used to make, but she's been dead for—"

"And mother Minnie is gone now, too, I know.  I know.  I'm telling you there is no such thing as—"

"Lundy, you hear that?"

"What?"

"Bells, Lundy.  Like up on the roof."

"Yeah, yeah, I do…  You don't think he's here, do you?"

"Oh, I think he was here, but we won't find him now."

"Please.  Go get that shower, would you.  I've had enough of this."

"Sure.  But what—"

"It wasn't!"

"Okay, Levon, have it your way."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, but I think it was."

"I suppose next you'll be telling me the tooth fairy stopped by for a cup of coffee…  Hmm, these do taste just like the cookies Mother Minnie baked at Christmas…  Naw, couldn't be."

The End


End file.
